NEW ORLEANS — Family and friends of the 19-year-olds who were killed in the Lower Ninth Ward have identified them to our partners at the Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate.
They are Kyron Peters and Courtney Hughes. The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of St. Maurice Avenue on Monday. Peters and Hughes were pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.
Four other teens were shot and taken to the hospital.
Rohan Johnson, a friend of both victims, told the Times-Picayune | New Orleans, "Courtney was probably one of the sweetest people I knew."
The shooting happened during a party, in what neighbors believe to be a short-term rental property. Dixon didn’t hear any gunshots but woke up to texts from family members asking if he and his wife were okay.
Crimestoppers is offering a $5,000 cash reward for information that can help lead to answers.
“I don’t know how as a citizen you can stand silent and not say we have to be one team one mission and one response and the only response is to say stop the violence come forward and help,” Crimestoppers CEO Darlene Cusanza said.
City leaders and residents say they’ve had enough of the crime. Councilman Oliver Thomas, who represents the district in which Monday’s shooting occurred, said we have to get guns off the street and work harder to stop criminals.
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